Thanksgiving. That time of the year when we take just a little more time to think of things we're thankful for. As I was making a list of things I was thankful for, our students kept coming to my mind. And how we could view so many of them as having trouble making a thankful list, but in reality, they're able to notice the "little" things so much better than us sometimes.
I was having a conversation with a student this week about her behavior. She's a tough cookie. She's been a "project" of ours for about the last year or more. She's got a lot of pain built up in her life, and that sometimes comes out of her in the most unfriendly ways.
As she had another episode, I pulled her into my office. I asked her what was going on, and of course she didn't want to talk about it. She never does.
So I tried a different approach. We have three staff members in particular who are working or have worked a LOT with her to get her in a better place. I told her how much her teacher loves her, I told
her how much our assistant principal loves her, and then I told her how much her teacher from last year loves her. Because truly, they care about her so much.
Then I told her, that the way she treats those who care about her, hurts them. And that some people can only take so much of someone being hateful to them before they throw their hands up. Before they walk away. Before they say "I've tried everything and I just don't know what else to do". Before they say, "Does she hate me??" We've all felt that way before about a student or loved one.
And for the first time ever, I saw something different in her. She looked at me and said "I don't hate them. I love them a lot too."
What?!? I had never heard her say that about anyone.
And she sat with me in my office and she cried, with me. We talked about how our emotions can sometimes get the better of us. It happens to all of us at one point or another.
But we can't let our emotions control us all the time. We can't let our hurt, our anger, our pain, push others away just because we choose to lash out at those we love.
We talked about how it's ok to be angry. It's ok to struggle with work or friends. It's ok to want to cry.
But we have to verbalize those emotions. We have to ask for help. We have to show that we're trying to change and be better.
Did I truly get through to this child? Who really knows. Only time will tell. And I know she'll lash out in anger/pain again. But maybe, just maybe she can see a little more that we care about her so very much. That we want to help her, to be a part of her life, to walk with her down this road.
I tie that into Thanksgiving because I am so thankful to have the job I do. I am so thankful to work with kids that come to us broken in a thousand pieces, hoping to find someone with a little glue and time to help them put the pieces back together again.
Teaching is a special profession. It's not something I feel I have to do, but I get to do.
And I am so incredibly thankful to work alongside people like YOU every day. People who pour their heart, soul, time, blood, sweat, tears into these kids.
People who are more than just educators. People who are life changers.
Our job isn't easy. Our job doesn't always feel rewarding every day. But I am thankful you walk alongside me with these kids. That you jump off the ledge with me. That you take risks, love deeply, and keep pushing yourselves.
I am thankful for our parents we have how are doing the best they possibly can to raise their children. I am thankful for our district administration who makes decisions they feel are for the betterment of kids. I am thankful for our own personal families who deal with our tears and time away from home because we love what we do.
Thank YOU for what you do. There is no way I could ever express how needed and appreciated you are.
Week at a Glance
Monday - Marvel Out
Book Fair Begins
Staff Meeting at 3:45pm
Tuesday - Dress Like a Pirate Day (for Book Fair)
Bilingual Vertical Meeting - 3:30pm - TP Room (lead by Marvel)
Book Fair Fun Night - 4pm-7pm
Wednesday - Moreland on Campus
Thursday - Kinder and First Grade Field Trip to Zoo (Thomas, LaPlant, and Jackson attending)
3rd-5th to George Bush Library (Nesloney, Boenker, and Madison/Taylor attending)
Friday - House Games (visitors will be here to observe as well)
Pot Luck Lunch
Pot Luck Lunch
Please make sure you've signed up to bring something for the Pot Luck lunch on Friday. We still have about 25 people who haven't signed up to bring anything yet. You can sign up HERE.
Book Fair
The book fair is this week and we'd love your help in talking in up! Especially our Book Fair Fun Night on Tuesday night. It's a come and go event with "Fish and Chips", door prizes, guest book readers, and more! We'd love to have tons of families in attendance. We will also have Tuesday be "Dress Like a Pirate Day" to help go with the theme of our Book Fair.
House Games
The House Games are on Friday and will work like normal. We will begin calling about 2:10pm. That is a day to get your teams fired up, for you and your students to dress in your colors, and for us to bring the energy and excitement! Let's show what we can do when we all come together to have fun and celebrate!
Lesson Plans
Lesson Plans should be updated through December 2nd
Birthdays
Cassie Reynolds - Nov 17
KVon Lamber - Nov 23
Dorothy Sargent - Nov 24
Christmas Family Night
Our Campus Christmas Family Night is December 8th from 5:00-8:15pm. As always, we are asking staff to serve at least one 45 minute shift that night. This is a HUGE fundraiser for PTO, a great night for families, and a great time for us to mingle with families. You can sign up for a spot to work HERE.
Ugly Sweater Christmas Party
On our last day, December 16th, we are having our Staff Christmas Party after the kids leave at 12:00pm. This is going to be an "Ugly Sweater" Christmas Party! There will be more details to come, but I wanted to let you know now in case you wanted to start looking (or start making) for that ugly sweater! There will be prizes!
TP Time
More Lesson Plan work. Please bring ONE activity that you'll be doing this week to share with the group for us to dive into. You need to know what TEK it addresses.
Monday - 2nd Grade
Tuesday - Kinder
Wednesday - 5th Grade
Thursday - 4th Grade
Friday - 3rd Grade
T-TESS
T-TESS is going strong, but I still have LOTS of people who have not contacted me (or the other two evaluators) to set up an evaluation. Let's get all of those on the calendar before Thanksgiving Break.
Kids Deserve It
Blogs/Articles
Rockstar Educators
Mallory LaPlant - Mallory is our campus Secretary, but as you know she's so much more than that. Mallory always comes with the best attitude and she steps up in so many ways. She always has a thousand things on her plate but is always there with a listening ear, a great attitude, and ready to tackle something else. From our work orders, to new enrollments, to keeping up our salt water tank, to SO MUCH MORE, Mallory really is a huge asset to our school. I am so thankful for Mallory's positive attitude, but even more so for her immense love for the students we serve here at our school. I have watched Mallory eat lunch with kids, laugh with kids, and even cry over some of our kids. We are lucky to have someone like her!
Joni Leonard - Joni is our PE teacher. What I love about Joni is that she is willing to jump off the edge with me with some of my ideas. And she's also incredibly flexible with her time. Joni probably has the schedule that gets changed the most on this campus, and she just takes it in stride. I have watched Joni really push and stretch herself over the last year or two to try some really fun ideas with our kids. And I love what she does with them especially on our House Games days to get them even more excited. Joni is such a needed part of this team, and I don't know what we'd do without her energy, ideas, and support!
Allison Guy - Allie is one of our 3rd Grade ELAR Teachers. Allie comes up with such creative ideas and ways to work with her students. I love how she's willing to try something she's totally uncomfortable with just to see if it will work. She's got such a gift with our SPED students as well. I am thankful we've had the energy and ideas of teachers like Allie who continually make me look at things different and want to try new ideas too! If you haven't seen her most recent idea with book trailers, go check out her bulletin board outside her room!
In Closing....
I hope you take a little time this week to share with each student why you're thankful for them. Remind them that they're loved. They're noticed. Take a moment to speak individually with EACH child. It will make a difference they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
And if you need a laugh, this video below should help :-)
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